Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Trumpcare, If It Passes, Has An Ardent Enemy In Form Of The Health Care Industry

The health care industry has not only been shut out of negotiations, but actively dislikes what it has seen of the proposed changes that would come along with the GOP plan. Meanwhile, the president's press secretary says it's "impossible" to predict the effects the legislation will have.

Politico:
Deep-Pocketed Health Care Lobbies Line Up Against Trump
Just about every major health care group opposes President Donald Trump’s health care overhaul — and the self-styled negotiator-in-chief hasn’t tried cutting a deal with them. The opposition from the deep-pocketed health care industry — and patient advocacy groups from the American Heart Association to the March of Dimes — has made it hard for Republicans to push Obamacare repeal through the House. And they could be a persistent obstacle if the legislation makes it to the Senate. (Cancryn, Karlin-Smith and Demko, 5/3)

California Healthline:
Blue Shield CEO Says GOP’s ‘Flawed’ Health Bill Would Harm Sicker Consumers
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on the state’s insurance marketplace, issued a blunt critique of the Republican health care bill, saying it would once more lock Americans with preexisting conditions out of affordable coverage. In an interview with California Healthline on Wednesday, Paul Markovich said the GOP’s American Health Care Act is “flawed” and “could return us to a time when people who were born with a birth defect or who became sick could not purchase or afford insurance.” The bill is set to come up for a vote in the House of Representatives on Thursday. (Terhune, 5/3)

The Hill:
Spicer: 'Literally Impossible' To Predict ObamaCare Repeal Bill's Effects
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Wednesday it is “literally impossible” to predict the effects of the House Republican plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare. “There are so many variables that are unknown,” Spicer told reporters. “It seems almost impossible.” Spicer was pushing back on critics who accuse Republicans of moving too fast on a proposal that could reshape the U.S. healthcare system without knowing its true impact. (Fabian, 5/3)

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